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Winter Fishing - pomerob - 05-07-2007
It wont be long before we get the pre winter feast comming up and we should have some great days on the water over the next 4 weeks, But after that we will be expecting some classic winter patterns.
Is there anything from your summer pattern tackle bag that you put away until next summer?
Basically I have a crank and spinner cull. Additional this year i intend to use a lot more jigs and deep diving cranks that run slow and wide.
Only being a begginer at drop shotting, is this a good method for winter patterns I would imagine so as you are able to keep that lure in the strike zone idefinately.
Lets hear your opinions.
- bassmaster - 05-07-2007
Hey Pomerob
I must say my approach to winter is a bit different than yours, it seems that you still want to fish deep? In winter I only target shallows or banks and spinner baits are definitely one of the baits of choice.
My logic is that firstly the sun is not as high in the sky as in summer and this allows the fish to feed more readily in the shallows, I think they feel more comfortable with the lower light conditions. Next the cold water is more comfortable and allows for them to be in the shallows longer not down in the depths all day like in summer.
Top water lures can also be fished all day and do not only have the limited time zone of early morning and late afternoon. Near the end of last winter I fished a top water lure almost all day and constantly got fish. So never count anything out of your tackle selection. Go with your gut feel, most of the time you will nail a fish....
- schollie - 05-07-2007
Seems to me you are right, spinners and cranks may get less attention, although I'd keep an inline spinner just incase. I'd also probably put buzz baits away, only using them fi there's been a warm spell and late afternoon/evening in the shallows.
This winter I'm trying shakey-worms, jigs and carolina's. I want to learn more about deep structure fishing, so I'm hoping to invest in a fishfinder.
Oh... and the 10lb floro and 8lb mono's already spooled waiting for some finess and dropshotting. :lol:
- robfisher - 05-07-2007
I am not really experienced enough to make a judgement call here... but I can tell you I have stopped taking all my rods with me and I?m not cranking much at all... nor even packing my spinner baits or jigs... last winter I did well in the shallows and will concentrate on my favourite type of fishing... and that?s plastic on Mojo.. I will also try heavy Carolina on deep drop offs.
- pomerob - 05-07-2007
yep winter is deep fishing time for me, even when a dam turns over the deeps are generally warmer and more consistant tempreture wise than the shallows.
My theory which is that once the water temp reaches 14 or below thier metabolic rate slows down and they dont need to feed so often. My fishing techniques slow down to match this normal fish behaviour.
I will also start to fish drop offs perpendicular to them instead of horizontal to them. Fish use a lot less energy cruising up and down a drop off than cruising along it's length.
I do fish the shallows but not at sunup as I would during a summer pattern. The shallows would generally be the place I go in the late afternoons. I would particually look for shallows with lots of rocks that retain the heat from the day.
Also a consideration for cold water is that it is a lot less dense than warmer water, and contains less suspended alge and as such sound travels a lot better in cold water than warm water. Cranks with loud rattles are replaced for smaller ones and I tend to be extra quite when fishing cold water, stopping much further from my intended spot than usual.
- PDV - 05-07-2007
Some valid points made by all - have never tried drop shotting - I think it's time for that down here in the Cape as tempeartures will be dropping fast within the next month!
- Lukas - 05-07-2007
Believe it or not, for the past 23 yrs I have been a "nice weather" bass angler. Since I got the boat in June last year I went out twice in winter with little success, but this year it will be my first true winter of basss fishing. I am soaking up the info being shared. Thanks guys.
- tolla - 05-07-2007
in winter you can still fish all the lures you use in summer, you might alter your retrieve (fishing a bit slower) , you can also fish 2 ways either deep or look for active shallow water fish.
lure wise you can either go bulky like jigs or brush hogs or fish finesse baits
slow rolling single colorado spinnerbaits work well or carolina rigged lures on flats and drop offs
remember murky or muddy water will take longer to heet up that clean water so fish slower.
- pomerob - 05-07-2007
slow rolling single blade colorado spinners, there now thats a new one for me Thanks Tolla
As far a shallows are concerened would you agree, that fish will move into the shallows, hunt for short period and move back down to deeper water. Or in your experieance have you found fish patrolling the shallows for extended periods??
- tolla - 05-07-2007
good question man, i think a little of both, i think the majority will stay deeper and move up to feed
what we have to realise is that although their metabolisms slow down in winter there will always be hungry buggers out there .
- pomerob - 05-07-2007
Agreed there will always be some greedy bugger to prove you wrong, but the majority will follow typical winter patterns.
- PDV - 05-08-2007
pomerob Wrote:Agreed there will always be some greedy bugger to prove you wrong, but the majority will follow typical winter patterns.......and those big buggers are the ones for the 10" Huddleston delux swim baits. :roll:
- robfisher - 05-08-2007
Slow... very slow... and drop offs is my plan for this weather change...
- Ninja - 05-08-2007
Having only got one winter bass fishing sesion behind me I have learned one thing from it and that is to slow down....slow, very very slow!
Re: Winter Fishing - Ninja - 05-08-2007
pomerob Wrote:It wont be long before we get the pre winter feast comming up and we should have some great days on the water over the next 4 weeks
I'm getting very exited hearing this. Is this a kind of "stock up for winter" feeding or what? How long does it normally last and what are the pattens, will it be the same as summer fishing?